


A New Hope

by Islair



Series: Breeders AU [2]
Category: The Emperor's Edge Series - Lindsay Buroker
Genre: CarrierVerse, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:21:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21574714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Islair/pseuds/Islair
Series: Breeders AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1548352
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

Sicarius sighed softly to himself. This was going to turn out to be yet another wild goose chase.

In the year since the plague, he had been sent to investigate what felt like every single remote island and isolated mountain valley in the entire world. Following up on rumours of surviving women that had reached the Emperor's ears. All had come to naught.

And now here he was, heading off to Mangdor again to investigate the latest rumour. Apparently, some Mangdorian man had turned into a woman and was now pregnant. Doubtless this too would prove to be some drunkard's wild imaginings.

But at least it got him out of the Imperial Barracks.

Truth to tell there was little call for the talents of an assassin since the plague. More than enough had already died in that disaster, and the other powers of the world were as disrupted by the aftermath as the Empire itself. Too busy just trying to hold themselves together in the face of massive depopulation to expend resources on attacking each other. Were it not for these rumours, his various part time secondments here and there in other branches of the government to cover personnel shortages would have long since become permanent.

Most men had survived the plague, but the rate of suicide had risen sharply since. Men walked away from their posts, grieving over lost loved ones, or just despairing at a world with no future. Encouraged to end it all by the preachers of the suicide cults that had started popping up despite the official atheism of the Empire.

He himself preferred the attitude that the chief Mangdorian shaman had expressed to him the last time he had come to them chasing ghosts. "If the gods decree that we are the last, then so be it. We shall live out our lives in peace and then pass into eternity."

And of course he had a son to watch over. No one, not even the boy himself, might be aware of the little prince's true parentage - and it must remain ever so to avoid the Emperor's wrath - but Sicarius watched him grow from the shadows with fatherly pride. The thought of any harm coming to Sespian tied a knot of cold fear around his heart.

The air was fresh and clear up in the mountains, away from the smog of coal smoke that often hung over Stumps this time of year. He was looking forward to the hike, alone save for passing wildlife, even if the mission would prove fruitless.

He finished packing his rucksack and headed out to catch the train to the nearest station to the border with Mangdor.


	2. Chapter 2

After several days spent tracking possible trails through the mountain forests, a Mangdorian finally deigned to be found.

"If you've come to steal our women, you're too late." He told Sicarius, bluntly. "The plague took them already. The shamans say it is punishment on all mankind for your evil cruel ways and despoiling of the land. We who remain will live out our lives as guardians of the forest, and pray for forgiveness."

"How do I know you tell the truth?" Sicarius countered.

"You, I have seen here before. You know we do not lie. Go back to Turgonia, assassin. Leave us to die in peace." The Mangdorian hunter turned away as if to leave.

"I would hear the words from your chief for myself."

"As you will. But you will hear no different. I will need to blindfold you."

"Understood." Sicarius let the young man wind a cloth around his eyes and secure the ends. It didn't matter to him, he had been trained to make use of all his senses.

The Mangdorian hunter led him through the forest by a twisting roundabout route. At last he stopped and removed the blindfold. The Great Chief and his advisors stood around him.

"Why have you come here, assassin? Is it not enough that your people's arrogant and exploitative ways have brought doom upon us all?" The Great Chief asked angrily.

"The Emperor has sent me to learn the truth of a rumour. It is said that one of your young men has turned into a woman and is now pregnant." Sicarius stated. "Show me the truth or otherwise of this rumour and I shall leave."

"It is not so. Your Emperor is advised by simpletons and drunkards. How can a man become a woman?" The Great Chief replied scornfully. Sicarius noted however the body language of the advisors. They were hiding something from him. Hmm.

He decided to play for time by calling on their tradition of hospitality. "It is late. Let me spend the night here with you. I shall convey the sad news to the Emperor tomorrow."

"You may sleep on the edge of our encampment for one night. You will be led away blindfolded at dawn." The Great Chief replied.

"Agreed." The night would give him a chance to listen in on their conversations and try to glean clues as to what they were hiding.

One of the younger hunters brought him a worn bear skin to lie on. Sicarius spread it out on the ground where he had been told to sleep and sat down. He chewed on a ration bar and feigned disinterest in the rest of the encampment. The Mangdorians for their part eyed him warily, but went back to their tasks once they saw that he was making no move to interact. Soon they began to talk quietly amongst themselves, and Sicarius listened carefully to pick out their quiet words.

"That ill-omened carrion crow taints the camp with his presence." Whispered one middle-aged hunter to another. "Perhaps we should move my nephew away tonight. The blessing is upon him and he will be too far into the change to walk soon."

"No. Leaving now would make him suspicious." Came the reply. "The shamans will take your nephew to the camp of the blessed when his change is done."

Interesting. A blessing and a change coming over members of the tribe. One that they did not want him to know about. Sicarius lay down and pretended to sleep. He would investigate once the camp quietened down.

After an hour or two, most of the tribe had settled in to sleep. The young hunter set to watch him was having trouble keeping his eyes open. Soon enough he nodded off.

Sicarius made his move. He crept around the outside of the camp, listening intently. A low moan of pain from one tent drew his attention.

"Hush now. Drink this, it will ease the pain and help you sleep." The voice sounded like one of the shamans. "All is progressing well. The womb forming inside you is growing. Your testicles are already migrating inside you and turning into ovaries."

A man changing into a woman? Was this happening spontaneously or was this shaman using his powers to reshape his patient? Either way, if this led to an individual capable of bearing a child, the whole world would very soon be heading to Mangdor to know how this happened and if it could be repeated.

A cry went up. His watcher had awakened and sounded the alarm. No point in hiding if he wanted his questions answered. Sicarius stood and let them surround him.

The shaman stepped out of the tent to confront him. "You repay our hospitality by breaking your word and entering our camp. You will be blindfolded and taken away now."

"Tell me about this change." Sicarius pressed. "You are reshaping men into women?"

"No. The gods have relented and decided to let us live. They choose to bless some among us with this change. Now go back to your dying people, assassin."

He let them blindfold him and lead him away from the camp.

* * *

Once he had been un-blindfolded and sent on his way, Sicarius briefly considered turning back and searching for the Mangdorians' "camp of the blessed" with a view to kidnapping one to show to the Emperor. However, that would be what the Mangdorians would be expecting him to do, so the camp would undoubtedly be under much heavier guard than usual right now. Better to return and report his findings, and maybe plan a retrieval mission at a future date.

He turned and began the long hike back home.


	3. Chapter 3

On his arrival back at the Imperial Barracks, Sicarius found himself invited into a high-level meeting of the Emperor and his advisors.

He made his report and then stood quietly ready to answer any questions that might occur.

Lord Axcrest, the head of the Medical division of the Imperial Army nodded along to the assassin's description of what he had seen. "This fits with what I've seen in reports from cases that have come in over the last few days, and what we're seeing in our own case here in the infirmary. He came in a day or so ago complaining of intense abdominal pains, and is now showing genital changes with the testicles shrinking and being drawn up into his body. The changes are real. Though I have yet to see reports of a confirmed pregnancy amongst our own people, it seems likely that the Mangdorians have."

"So, this change can save the Empire?" asked Emperor Raumesys.

"It's a numbers game, Sire." replied Axcrest. "If the percentage of the population that undergo this change is less than around 10%, then they will struggle to maintain our current post-plague low population levels, even if these breeders - for want of a better word - spend their whole lives just breeding. In order to get the population back towards pre-plague levels we will need to ensure that all breeders produce large families for the next three or four generations, at least."

"If we're going to have only a small number of breeders, we'll need to ensure that the fathers come from good stock. No point in filling the population with weaklings." Opined another Lord.

"Yes, priority should be given to the Warrior Caste and those who have risen up the ranks on merit when it comes to fatherhood." replied Lord Axcrest.

Lord Hollowcrest, noticing that Sicarius was still standing to attention, leaned over to talk quietly into his ear. "I think we have all we needed from your mission report. I'm sure you have other things to be getting on with."

"Sir." Sicarius turned and left the meeting.

The Emperor and his advisors would decide what they would decide, and that would be that.

He, meanwhile, had laundry to do, socks to darn, ration bars to make, knives to sharpen.


End file.
